Ahh, the Beach

Annual trip to the beach this year was just as amazing as always.  Now that we are back, I find myself driving down the road saying "Why do we live here? Shouldn't we live closer to the ocean?"  The Muffin Man's largest client is located in Florida, he keeps dangling the "we could have a boat" carrot. Probably a very smallish, well used boat, but a boat. 

As luck would have it, I would also call this vacation a vacation and not a temporary re-location as all parents of small children will know exactly what I am talking about.  Re-locations are wonderful in their own right, but this year I sat on the beach and read a book.  Seriously, a book.  A real book while my children occupied themselves with sand and salt water.  It's been about 10 years since I actually read a book at the ocean.  Heaven. 

The kid spent hours and hours looking fabulous shells.  She caught sand dollars, small fish and built sand mountain after sand mountain.  She could literally spend all week searching and searching for the perfect shell.  She doesn't get this from me.  I'm too impatient, and perhaps my center of gravity is too high, I couldn't be caught spending that much time stooped over white shells.  But I love to watch her do it. 

The colored beach umbrellas say happy day. 

This year bed times were looser.  No one seems to melt down with the fervor of years past, no one naps anymore.  And, everyone just seems to sleep in if they are out at the beach until 9pm.  Heaven. 

 

There is lots of concentration needed to mix the perfect bucket of sand and salt water.

While Mom is ignoring everyone else, reading a book Grandpa is there to supervise raft floating.  

In addition to the other changes at the beach this year, Liv is now a fish.  A fearless fish.  

They don't like each other too much.  

Watch out kindergarten class, she's coming your way. 

This picture sort of says it all.  Captiva Island, FL is a bit of a dream.